Blade holder

ABSTRACT

A blade holder for a handsaw construction for holding a saw blade having an aperture in one end thereof, the handsaw construction including a longitudinally extending saw frame having a handle at the rear end thereof and a front leg at the front end thereof and a rear leg intermediate the front leg and the handle, tensioning means for moving the blade carrying end of one of the legs away from the other of the legs and a blade holder fixedly carried by one of the legs for securing thereto the one end of the saw blade. The blade holder includes a first clamping member having a slot therein providing a first guide surface and a second guide surface for receiving and orienting the saw blade therebetween, the first guide surface having an elongated opening therein defining a stop member and the second guide surface having an opening therein overlying the stop member, a second clamping member rotatably mounted in said opening in said second guide surface and having a finger extending therefrom for cooperation with said stop member to maintain a saw blade in the slot.

United States Patent [191 Dreier US. Cl 145/33 A, 145/35 E Int. Cl........' B27b 21/06 Field of Search 145/33 A, 33 R, 35 E [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1900 Saxton 145/35 E 8/1900 Wilson... 145/33 R 2/1943 Allen 145/33 R Primary Examiner-Al Lawrence Smith Assistant Examiner-J. T. Zatarga Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Prangley, Dithmar, Vogel, Sandler & Stotland June 11, 1974 [5 7 ABSTRACT A blade holder for a handsaw construction for holding a saw blade having an aperture in one end thereof, the handsaw construction including a longitudinally extending saw frame having a handle at the rear end thereof and a front leg at the front end thereof and a rear leg intermediate the front leg and the handle, tensioning means for moving the blade carrying end of one of the legs away from the other of the legs and a blade holder fixedly carried by one of the legs for securing thereto the one end of the saw blade. The blade holder includes a first clamping member having a slot therein providing a first guide surface and a second guide surface for receiving and orienting the saw blade therebetween, the first guide surface having an elongated opening therein defining a stop member and the second guide surface having an opening therein overlying the stop member, a second clamping member rotatably mounted in said opening in said second guide surface and having a finger extending therefrom for cooperation with said stop member to maintain a saw blade in the slot.

10 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures BLADE HOLDER This invention is directed to an improved handsaw construction in which a novel blade holder is provided, and more specifically to a handsaw construction having a blade holder including first and second clamping members and first and second guide surfaces.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a handsaw for holding a saw blade having an aperture on one end thereof, the handsaw comprising a longitudinally extending saw frame including a handle at the rear end thereof and a front leg at the front end thereof and a rear leg intermediate the front leg and the handle, tensioning means for moving the blade carrying end of one of thelegs away from the other of the legs to tension a saw blade therebetween, a blade holder fixedly carried by one of the legs for securing thereto the one end of the saw blade, the blade holder including a first clamping member having a slot therein providing a first guide surface and a second guide surface for receiving and orienting the saw blade therebetween, the first guide surface having an elongated opening therein defining a stop member and the second guide surface having an opening therein overlying the stop member, a second clamping member rotatably mounted in the opening in the second guide surface and having a finger extending therefrom for cooperation with the stop member to maintain a saw blade in the slot, the second clamping member being movable between a saw blade receiving position wherein the finger is disposed away from the stop member a distance sufficient to permit a saw blade to be received in the slot and a saw blade clamping position wherein the one end of the saw blade is positioned in the slot and the finger extends through the aperture and into the opening in the first guide surface to maintain the saw blade between the first and second guide surfaces and in the slot, whereby operation of the tensioning means to tension the saw blade moves the clamping members to the clamping position thereof with the saw blade firmly maintained in the slot.

. The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and-advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following specification considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational side view'of a handsaw embodying the principles of the present invention, wherein the saw blade is tensioned and ready for use;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational side view of the lefthand portion of the saw blade and frame of the handsaw illustrated in FIG. I particularly illustrating the blade holder of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the handsaw illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the blade holder shown in FIG. 2 taken along the lines 44 thereof;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the blade holder shown in FIG. 2 with the second clamping member removed;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the blade holder shown in FIG. 2 taken along the lines 6-6 thereof particularly showing the second clamping member in the saw blade clamping position thereof;

FIG. Tis a sectional view of the blade holder shown in FIG. 2 with the second clamping member in the saw blade receiving position thereof; and

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of the blade holder as in FIG. 2 showing a saw blade clamped on the outside thereof.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated a handsaw including a saw frame having a C-shaped handle at the rear end of the handsaw 100, the C-shaped 110 including a grip portion 111 having a web 112 bounded on either side thereof by laterally extending flanges 113. The handle 110 has at the forward end thereof a cylindrical boss into which fits one end of a tubular frame member 116, the other end of the tubular member 116 fitting into a cylindrical boss 118 of a front frame member 117. The saw frame 105 further includes a leg 119 extending in the same direction from the tubular frame member 116 as the handle 110.

At the end of the leg 119 away from the cylindrical boss 118 is mounted a first blade holder 120. The first blade holder 120 includes a first clamping member 121 integrally formed with the leg 119 and extending outwardly therefrom, the first clamping member having a first guide surface 122 which is flat and has an elongated opening 123 therein. The elongated opening 123 is positioned off center with respect to the first clamping surface 122 and more particularly, as shown in FIG. 5, is positioned near the distal end of the first clamping member 12l'away from the leg 119 and toward the front end of the handsaw 100 or toward the leftmost edge of the first blade holder 120. Also,- integrally formed with the leg 119 as part of the first clamping member 121 is a housing 125 having a second guide surface 122a which is spaced from the first guide surface 122 a distance sufficient topermit a saw blade 180 to be positioned therebetween, the housing being formed by four integrally connected walls in the shape of a rectangle open in the middle. The wall of the housing 125 away from the leg 119 has an aperture 126 extending therethrough and the .wall of the housing adjacent the leg 119 has an aperture 127 extending therethrough, which aperture also extends slightly into the leg 119, the apertures 126 and 127 being in registry.

A second clamping member 131' is rotatably mounted in the housing 125 on a pin 135 which extends through the apertures 126 and 127 in the housing 125 and the leg 119, the pin 135 having an enlarged head 136 and a blade holding section 137, all for a purpose hereinafter set forth. The second clamping member 131 is eccentrically mounted on the pin 135 and is provided with a flat clamping surface 132 from which extends a finger 133. The second clamping member 131 is provided with a knurled surface 134 on the surface thereof exposed to the user of the handsaw 100.

Returning now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there are disposed two spaced apart and generally parallel ears 140 extending from the handle 110. near the cylindrical boss 114, the ears 140 forming a vertical slot therebetween. A link 141 is mounted on arivet 142 extending laterally through the ears 140 pivotally to mount the link 141 on the handle 110 to allow movement of the link toward and away from the leg 119 and the blade holder 120 associated therewith.

dle 110, the leg 119 and the link 141, the cylindricalpassage 144 intersecting the convex slot 143 which has loosely located therein a square nut 145, the dimensions of the slot 143 being such that opposed peripheral walls of the nut 145 loosely engage the walls of the slot 143 toward and away from the rivet 142 to prevent rotational movement of the nut 145 about its axis while the convex walls of the slot 143 prevent movement of the nut 145 in an axial direction. The convex nature of the slot 143 permits limited tilting movement of the nut 145 within the slot.

A shaft 146, having one end thereof loosely extending through the cylindrical passage 144, is threaded into and through the nut 145 and extends from the link 141 rearwardly where the rearmost end of the shaft 146 is loosely received within a cylindrical opening 147 formed in the end of the C-shaped handle .110 away from the boss 114, the cylindrical opening 147 being substantially coaxial with the cylindrical passage 144 in the link 139. Similarly to the link 141 the handle 110 has a transverse slot 148 formed therein intersecting the cylindrical opening 147 substantially at right angles and has located therein a square nut 149. The transverse slot 148 is of a size to prevent rotation of the nut 149,'as well as to prevent axial movement of the nut within the slot. The nuts 145 and 149 are provided with oppositely directed threads, the nut 145, for instance,

being provided with right-hand threads corresponding to the threads on the forward end of the shaft 146, the nut1149being provided with left-hand threads corresponding'tothe threads on-the rearward end of the shaft 146.

At approximately the center of the shaft 146, there is fixed thereon a cylindrical knurled adjusting member 150, the rotation of which will cause the shaft 146 to rotate in the nuts 145 and 149, thereby pivoting the link 141 with respect to the leg 119 and the handle 1 10.

At the end of thelink 141 away from the: rivet 142 there is disposed a second blade holder 160 identical in housing 165 and a pin 175. The blade holder 160 is inv tegrally formed from the end of the link 141 but in other respects is identical in construction to the blade holder 120. Both'the blade holders 120 and 160 have first clamping members 121 and 151, respectively, and second clamping members 131 and 171, respectively. Each of the" blade holders 120 and 160 are constructed and arranged so that the second clamping members 131 and 171, respectively, are rotatable between a saw blade receiving position, as seen in FIG. 7, wherein the finger 133 (for a clamping member 131) is disposed away from the associated first clamping member 121 and particularly away from the elongated slot 123 therein and a blade clamping position, as seen in FIG. 6, wherein the clamping surface 132 is in contact with the associated surface of theblade 180 and the finger 1'33 is in a hole 181provided at each end of the saw blade 180. Since it is clear that the blade holders 120 and 160 are identical in construction, only one of the blade holders will bereferred to in the appended description of the operation of the handsaw 100.

When'it is desired to change blades 180 in the handsaw 100, knurled adjustment member 150 is rotated to move the link 141 toward the front leg 119 of the handsaw 100, thereby to release the tension in the saw blade 180 and at the same time release the tension transmitted by the saw blade to the blade holders 120 and 160. Once the tension in the saw blade 180 has been released, the second clamping member 131 is pivoted from its saw blade clamping position shown in FIG. 6 to its saw blade receiving position shown in FIG. 7. Since the outer surface of the clamping member 131 is knurled as at 134, it is easy to move the clamping member by thumb friction. Rotation of the clamping member 131 cams the clamping surface 132 thereof and the finger 133 extending thereof away from the guide surface 122 and the elongated slot 123 therein. The finger 133 and the clamping surface 132 move away from the guide surface 122 a distance sufficient to permit the introduction or removal of a saw blade 180 between the clamping surfaces 122 and 122a. Movement of the sec ond clamping member 131 to the saw blade receiving position thereof is facilitated by the eccentric mounting of the clamping member with respect to the housing 125, as hereinbefore set forth. Once the second clamp- I ing member 131 is in the saw blade receiving position thereof, the saw blade 180 may be removed therefrom and a new blade inserted between the guide surfaces 122 and 122a of the first clamping member 121 with the hole 181 of the saw blade positioned as shown in FIG. 7. Thereafter, movement of the saw blade 180 to the right as shown by the arrow in FIG. 7 will cause rotation of the second clamping member 131 to the saw blade clamping position thereof shown in FIG. 6. After the saw blade 180 has been thus positioned in both the blade holders 12 0 and 160, the link 141 is moved away from the leg 119, thereby to tension the saw blade 180. Once the blade 180 has been tensioned, the handsaw is ready for use.

While the principal object of the present invention is to provide a blade holder of the type hereinabove set j forth, which permits easy engagement anddisengagement of a saw blade, it is desired in some circumstances to position the saw blade 180 in a plane 90 from thatshown in FIG. 1. As seen in FIG. 8 a saw blade 180 having holes 181 at either end thereof may be positioned ina plane 90 from that shown in FIG. 1 by positioning the saw blade over the heads 136 and 176 of the pins and 175, respectively, which form a part of the blade holders 120 and 160, respectively. Tensioning of the saw blade 180 thus positioned is accomplished in the same manner as hereinbefore set forth.

a While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred'embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood that various modifications and alterations may be made herein without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications and alterations as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is: p

1. A handsaw for holding a saw blade having an aperture on one end thereof, the handsaw comprising a longitudinally extending saw frame including a'handle at the rear end'thereof and a front leg at the front end thereof and a rear leg intermediate said front leg and said handle, tensioning means for moving the blade carrying end of one of said legs away from the other of said legs to tension a saw blade therebetween, a blade holder fixedly carried by one of said legs for securing thereto the one end of the saw blade, said blade holder including a first clamping member having a slot therein providing a first guide surface and a second guide surface for receiving and orienting the saw blade therebetween, said first guide surface having an elongated opening therein defining a stop member and said second guide surface having an opening therein overlying said stop member, a second clamping member rotatably mounted in said opening in said second guide surface and having a finger extending therefrom for cooperation with said stop member to maintain a saw blade in said slot, said second clamping member being movable between a saw blade receiving position wherein said finger is disposed away from said stop member a distance sufficient to permit a saw blade to be received in said slot and a saw blade clamping position wherein the one end of the saw blade is positioned in said slot and said finger extends through the aperture and into said opening in said first guide surface to maintain the saw blade between said first and second guide surfaces and in said slot, whereby operation of said tensioning means to tension the saw blade moves the clamping members to the clamping position thereof with the saw blade firmly maintained in said slot.

2. The handsaw set forth in claim 1, wherein said blade holder and said front leg are one piece.

3. The handsaw set forth in claim 1, wherein said saw frame includes a one piece front leg and blade holder and a one piece rear leg'and blade holder.

4. The handsaw set forth in claim 1, wherein said second clamping member is rotatably mounted in a housing integrally formed with said first clamping member.

5. The handsaw set forth in claim 1, wherein said second clamping member is mounted for eccentric rotatable movement with respect to said first clamping 6 member to cam said finger disposed thereon away from said first guide surface a distance sufficient to receive the saw blade in said slot.

6. The handsaw set forth in claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral surface of said second clamping member away from said finger is knurled.

7. The handsaw set forth in claim 1, wherein one of said clamping members is mounted on a pin having an enlarged head extending beyond the other of said clamping members, said pin being constructed and arranged to receive a saw blade thereon, the saw blade mounted on said pin lying in a plane 90 from the plane formed by the saw blade and mounted in said blade holder.

8. The handsaw set forth in claim 1, wherein said second clamping member is mounted on a pin having an enlarged head extending beyond said first clamping member, said pin being constructed and arranged to receive a saw blade thereon, the saw blade mounted on said pin lying in a plane 90 from the plane formed by the saw blade when mounted in said blade holder.

9. The handsaw set forth in claim 1, and further including a second blade holder fixedly carried by the other one of said legs to provide blade holders on said front leg and said rear leg.

10. The handsaw set forth in claim 1, wherein said finger rests against said stop member when said second clamping member is in the saw blade clamping position thereof, thereby properly to position the saw blade in said blade holder. 

1. A handsaw for holding a saw blade having an aperture on one end thereof, the handsaw comprising a longitudinally extending saw frame including a handle at the rear end thereof and a front leg at the front end thereof and a rear leg intermediate said front leg and said handle, tensioning means for moving the blade carrying end of one of said legs away from the other of said legs to tension a saw blade therebetween, a blade holder fixedly carried by one of said legs for securing thereto the one end of the saw blade, said blade holder including a first clamping member having a slot therein providing a first guide surface and a second guide surface for receiving and orienting the saw blade therebetween, said first guide surface having an elongated opening therein defining a stop member and said second guide surface having an opening therein overlying said stop member, a second clamping member rotatably mounted in said opening in said second guide surface and having a finger extending therefrom for cooperation with said stop member to maintain a saw blade in said slot, said second clamping member being movable between a saw blade receiving position wherein said finger is disposed away from said stop member a distance sufficient to permit a saw blade to be received in said slot and a saw blade clamping position wherein the one end of the saw blade is positioned in said slot and said finger extends through the aperture aNd into said opening in said first guide surface to maintain the saw blade between said first and second guide surfaces and in said slot, whereby operation of said tensioning means to tension the saw blade moves the clamping members to the clamping position thereof with the saw blade firmly maintained in said slot.
 2. The handsaw set forth in claim 1, wherein said blade holder and said front leg are one piece.
 3. The handsaw set forth in claim 1, wherein said saw frame includes a one piece front leg and blade holder and a one piece rear leg and blade holder.
 4. The handsaw set forth in claim 1, wherein said second clamping member is rotatably mounted in a housing integrally formed with said first clamping member.
 5. The handsaw set forth in claim 1, wherein said second clamping member is mounted for eccentric rotatable movement with respect to said first clamping member to cam said finger disposed thereon away from said first guide surface a distance sufficient to receive the saw blade in said slot.
 6. The handsaw set forth in claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral surface of said second clamping member away from said finger is knurled.
 7. The handsaw set forth in claim 1, wherein one of said clamping members is mounted on a pin having an enlarged head extending beyond the other of said clamping members, said pin being constructed and arranged to receive a saw blade thereon, the saw blade mounted on said pin lying in a plane 90* from the plane formed by the saw blade and mounted in said blade holder.
 8. The handsaw set forth in claim 1, wherein said second clamping member is mounted on a pin having an enlarged head extending beyond said first clamping member, said pin being constructed and arranged to receive a saw blade thereon, the saw blade mounted on said pin lying in a plane 90* from the plane formed by the saw blade when mounted in said blade holder.
 9. The handsaw set forth in claim 1, and further including a second blade holder fixedly carried by the other one of said legs to provide blade holders on said front leg and said rear leg.
 10. The handsaw set forth in claim 1, wherein said finger rests against said stop member when said second clamping member is in the saw blade clamping position thereof, thereby properly to position the saw blade in said blade holder. 